Boat



March 28, 19.39. E. IB\UGATTI 5 r Filed Nov. 22, 193'? v 2 Sheets-Sheetl March 28, 1939. I E, BUGATTI 2,151,836

' BOAT Filed Nov. 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 28, 1939 ATEQIQE Application November 22, 1937, Serial No. 175,909 In FranceNovember 26, 1936 9 Claims.

.One .of the reasons for which it is diflicult to make for seanavigation boats which are of a very pointed shape and therefore capableof moving at high speed is that these boats must be capable of resistingthe repeated shocks of water waves. Another reason is that, in the caseof a very narrow'boat, the end parts sink too easily into water as aconsequence of shocks for instance under the efiect of the waves andalso of the continuous variations of the water line that occur andresult in a material braking of the forward movement.

The object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement whichpermits of giving a very pointed shape to boats without involving thedisadvantages above mentioned.

Other features of the present invention will resultfrom the followingdetailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely byway of example, and in which:

'Fig. l diagrammatically shows, in perspective View, the fore part of animproved boat according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of this boat in a plane passingthrough the normal water line of the boat;

Fig. 3 is a view analogous to Fig. 1 showing the rear part of the boat;

Fig.4 is a view, analogous to Fig. 1, of another embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Figs. 1 and 4, of still another embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 5;

Fig, '7. is a simplified sectional view on the line VII-VII- of Fig. 6.

According to Figs. 1 and 2, the elastic blades, for instance steelsheets I, are disposed along a general vertical direction along the side2 of a boat 3. The front edge 4 of a blade is fixed to the hull at leastover the immersed front part thereof and the lower edge 5 is likewisefixed to the hull. In the drawings, the fixation has beendiagrammatically shown by weld points. The upper part 6 of the sheets orblades is curved frontwardly and toward a horizontal plane in suchmanner that the whole of the blade leaves the hull substantiallytangentially thereto at the bottom and deviates therefrom by twistingupwardly. It will be readily understood that the waves that strike thehull meet with an elastic resistance of blades I, which yield under theeffect of the shocks so that they do not transmit to the hull anintensive action. Owing to the curved shape of the blades. water isthrown back laterally. Furthermore, if the front part of the hull tendsto sink into water, the upper parts 6 of the blades, which are nearlyhorizontal, elastically oppose a high resistance to this kind ofdisplacement.

Fig. 1 further shows the arrangement of supporting surfaces 1 whichcooperate with the action of the upper parts of blades l or evenconstitute the chief device intended to prevent any exaggerated sinkingof the front part of the boat. Surfaces l are connected to rotaryspindles 8 owing to which it is possible more or less to incline thesesurfaces by means of the diagrammatic control device including levers 9and a connecting rod i ll. For practical purposes, the same axis orspindle 8 will be connected with a surface 10- cated-on one side of theboat and a corresponding surface located on the opposite side. Ofcourse, it is advantageous to make use of an irreversible control foradjusting the inclination of said surfaces. This control may be locatedeither wholly or partly on the inside or on the outside of the hull.Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of similar surfaces H at the rear of theboat. As shown by Fig. 4, the supporting surfaces may be made of twoparts; the front part i2 is fixed to the hull and it is rigid orsubstantially so, where-. as the rear part l3, connected to part I2, ison the other hand free and elastically flexible in such manner as to beable to deform by taking for instance a cylindrical shape (firstsurface) or a helical or twisted shape (second surface on Fig. 4).

In the example of Fig. 5, the blades forming steps and the supportingsurfaces are grouped into a single elastic or deformable element l4.Substantially at the height of the water line, the distance from thefree rear edge l5 of the blades to the hull is limited to a maximumvalue by a 40,

flexible cable l6 permitting said blade M to be applied by the action ofwater against the wall of the boat. The position of the free ends ll ofthe parts constituting the supporting surfaces is controlled by guys I 8the points of fixation of I which to the hull can be fixed, movable,rigid or elastic. In Fig. 5, I have diagrammatically shown theconnection of guys I8 to a common funicular control element 2!, each guypassing through a guide I9 carried by a metallic element 20 so as to besecured to this control 2!. Guides l9 can, if necessary, slide inelement 20 acting as a slideway.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan View relating to a device for simultaneousoperation of all blades.

It will be readily understood that the curvature and the inclination ofthe elastic blades are modified by the sliding of elements H] to whichthe guys are secured. It is even possible to bring back the points ofthe blades against the hull. It has,

been supposed in this case that the cables 2| on either side of the hullare both attached to a common control 22 and pass on pulleys 23. Thisdiagrammatic showing is sufiicient to indicate the many differentpossibilities of construction of the means for operating the blades. Ofcourse, the arrangement, number, and shape of the supporting surfacesand also of the shock absorbing blades shown by the drawings have nolimitative character.

Of course, the invention above described applies to all kinds ofnavigation machines, for instance to the pontoons of flying machines.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description,disclosedwhat I deem to be practical and efiicient embodiments of thepresent invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to belimited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement,disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principleof the present invention as comprehended within the scope of theaccompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In connection with a machine having a hull adapted to float on water,a system of elastic blades carried by the outside of said hull and thelower parts of which are fixed at the front to said hull and deviatetherefrom rearwardly, so as to form a series of elastic lateral stepscapable of yielding to the action of the shocks of waves, the upperparts of said blades being curved outwardly so as to end nearlyhorizontally, in such manner as to form supporting surfaces littleinclined on the horizontal direction.

2. A system according to claim 1 further including means for limitingthe deviation of the outer ends of said blades from said hull.

3. A system according to claim 1 further including guys carried by saidhull and fixed to the outer edges of said blades for limiting thedeviation thereof from said hull.

4. A system according to claim 1 further including means for limitingthe deviation of said blades from said hull, and control means foradjusting the limit of said deviation.

5. In a water craft having a substantially vertical hull portion, thecombination with said hull portion, of a resilient, normally warpedplate which is secured to the hull portion solely along its forward andlower edges, and gently merges from the hull portion surface to departfrom said surface both in fore-aft direction and in keeldeck direction.

6. In a water craft having a substantially vertical hull portion, thecombination with said hull portion, of a resilient, normally warpedplate which includes, below the normal water line, a substantiallyvertical forward edge and a substantially horizontal lower edge, and isattached to the hull portion solely along said edges the warped platebeing constructed and arranged to outwardly diverge from the hullportion, departing substantially tangentially from the same both at theforward edge and at the lower edge.

7. In a water craft having a hull, the combination with the hull of aresilient blade of concave formation, which has a forward edge and alower edge both adapted for contact and conformity with the hull, on oneside thereof, the blade being attached to the hull along said edges anddeparting substantially tangentially therefrom so as to turn itsconcavity toward the water side, the blade having its lower portionbelow the normal water line and its upper portion above said line; andmeans located wholly above the water line extending from the hull to theupper portion of the blade, for adjusting the curvature of the blade.

8. In a water craft having a hull, the combination with the hull of aresilient blade which is attached to the hull both along its forwardedge extending above and below the normal Water line, and along itslower edge located below said line but solely along said edges, theblade being so warped as to leave the hull substantially tangentiallyalong said edges and to gradually merge into a wing-like substantiallyhorizontal portion, located considerably above the water line.

9. The combination of claim '7, further comprising a plurality ofresilient blades likewise constructed and arranged along the said hullside, a

plurality of adjusting means likewise constructed and arranged betweenthe corresponding blades and the hull, and a common control on the hullfor simultaneously operating the said adjusting means.

ETTORE BUGA'I'II.

